Curiosities of pipe clay from the Westerwald

30 avril 2016

In recent years, curator Don Duco has taken a closer look at the sub-collection of pipe clay figurines in the Amsterdam Pipe Museum. Early figurines since the 16^th century were described in the first introductory article. After that the intererst was focussed on by-products in various Western European pipe producing centres. In the third and last article, by-products from the Westerwald are discussed. In the Rhine area the activity flourished and grew into an important industry in the early twentieth century. These statuettes are certainly trivial, but once collected and documented, this material sheds light on a curious piece of history of an industry that has since fully disappeared.

Museum week: Our real gold

17 avril 2016

Last year the traditional Museumweekend was changed into a Museumweek. This year we participate in this successful event with a 7 days opening, highlighting a spectacular pipe - a recent acquisition. For this week only we exhibit a grand French meerschaum pipe: the tobacco pipe that was presented by the French King Louis Philippe to one of his army officers. The elaborate silver lid supports a canon an two piles of bullets. If you press a small knob on the lid, a second, hidden lid appears with a portrait medal of the king himself. On view till Sunday April 24.

Modern silver tobacco jars

14 avril 2016

On 17th April 2016 the exhibition "Silver art in the Netherlands" opens at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, in which the artistic possibilities of silver are explored along examples of contemporary Dutch designed large silver objects. Our museum has given four tobacco jars in loan. These pots, part of a series of twelve, are modern interpretations of the traditional tobacco jar that are commissioned by mr Peter Becker in 1997. If you like to see these original artworks within the scope of contemporary silver design you can visit the museum in The Hague up to 21 August 2016. A splendid exhibition!